Wire-coupling.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. MITCHELL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO l JAMES M. GLENN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

WIRE-COUPLING.

s'PncIEIcA'rIoN forming per@ of Lettere Patent No. 698,127, dated April 22, 1902.

Application led June 12, 1901.

To all whom it may. concern:

'.clare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilledv in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire-couplings, such as illustrated in Patent No. 649,542, and of which patent I am part owner. The coupling described in said patent permits two wire ends to be connected in a rapid manner and without the aid of any tools, for which reason the device is eminently well adapted to serve as a coupling to reestablish connection electrically, as well as mechanically, between the fractured ends of broken trolley-Wires, such as are used with electric-railway systems. This present. invention intends to add improvements whereby the holding 'capacity of the device after engagement is increased to add greater security.

In the following specification, and part-icularly pointed out in the claims following, is found a full description of the invention, together with its manner of use, parts,'and construction, Which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal section of the device, showing one wire end in a position to about enter into engagement with the coupling, while the'other end is shown with its connection completed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged portion of the preceding figure and shows a wire end engaged. Fig. 3 is a top View of the device as it appears in Fig. 1 and after the connection is completed. Fig. 4. is a cross-section of the coupling. Fig. 5 showsA one of the locking-plates used for holding the wire. Fig. 6 is one of the separating-washers.

11 is a cylindrical sleeve of proper dimensions and suitable metal-like brass, for instance-and tapering toward opposite ends serial ne. 64,234. (No'medei.)

the wires to be connected.u It has two longito a thickness approaching the diameter of tudinal bores 12 entering inwardly from each intended to engage and -hold the wire ends which the coupling is to connect. These devices consist of locking-plates 15,' each having'a perforation 16 of a size to permit vthe wire end to freely pass through. They are of a size to freely it into chambver'lt, against the outer end Walls 17 of which they are intended to rest. The size of their openings 16 is, however, so limited that the locking-plate nearest end wall17 is prevented from coming ilatwise fully in contact with such wall withoutiirst impinging against the inserted Wire end, when by reason of frictional contact the outwardly-pulling wire tends to and does drag such locking-plate toward the end wall, which forms a shoulder, against which it\`comes to a stop. Thismotion, which tends to cant or tilt the locking-plate so that one edge or corner of it only comes in contact with wall 17, causes the edges around perforations 16, each at a point at one side in one edge diagonally opposite to a point on the other side of the other edge, to impinge against the wire be-V tween, as shown most plainlyin Fig. 2. This impingement is sufficient to hold the wire ends to the coupling for the purpose of connecting them. In order to increase this engagement, however, for the purpose of adding greater security to the connection, I propose to use a number of these locking-plates l5 on each wire end, two being here shown, so that in case the hold of one on the wire is not sufficient or incomplete such hold is augmented by the other plate or plates. Each g 5 one of these latter must be. capable, however, of independent action, for which purpose I interpose separating-plates or spacing-,washers 18, as shown, which prevent one plate from bearing directly against the other and also separate the points of their engagement with the Wire. These spacing-Washers are also perforated to permit the wire to pass through; but the perforation or bore is enlarged andthe metal around the edge on both sides is removed to reduce the surface thereat sufficiently to prevent any engaging contact with the Wire which would interfere With the self-adjustment of the locking-plates. The manipulation is simple and quickly performed, the wire ends being merely pushed into the bores of the coupling, as shown in Fig. l, left side, and let go after fully introduced, as shown on right side of said figure, When engagement will at once take place, it being presumed, of course, that the lockingplates and separating Washers are all in proper position. This proper position is with the outermost locking-plate resting against the end or outer Wall 17 of each chamber 11i and with the inner locking-plates resting each against the separating-Washer ahead of it. For such purpose I use, preferably, a spring 19, Which holds the internal parts in proper position against the outer end Wall until the engagement is completed, after which the springhasnofurtherfunction. Thesesprings, as Well as all other internal parts, are introduced through openings 2l. It is preferable to have a stop limiting the extent to which a Wire end may be introduced, which stop may be obtained by a partition 22.

If necessary or desirable, the coupling may be disconnected by using a hooked implement t0 release the locking-plates, which implement is introduced through an opening 23, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and then manipulated in a manner to force the plates back to a position which brings them about square to the wire, whereby the same is released.

Having described my invention, I claim as neW- l. A Wire-coupling consisting of a sleeve having centrally-alined bores at each end and each intended to receive a Wire, a chamber at the inner end of each bore, the end Wall of Which forms a shoulder or abutment around such inner end, a plurality of locking-plates in each chamber and spacing-washers to separate them to permit each of the former to act independently, all being perforated and alined to permit the projecting end of the inserted Wire to enter and pass through them for engagement Which latter is with the lock.-A ing-plates only, the surface of the enlarged bore of the washers being reduced to prevent any engagement thereat.

2. A wire-coupling consisting of a sleeve having centrally-alined bores at each end and each intended to receive a Wire, a chamber at the inner end of each bore, the end Wall of which forms a shoulder or abutment around such inner end, a plurality of perforated locking-plates adapted to receive and hold the projecting end of the inserted wire, separating-Washers between these locking-plates to permit them to act each independently, they having also perforations, but of larger size than those in the locking-plates, the perforations in all these latter and in the washers being alined to permit a Wire end to enter, and a spring to hold them in proper position and alinement previous to the entrance of the Wire.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE. 

